


Life is a puzzle

by snowynight



Series: Best Friends Together [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 05:46:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11373804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowynight/pseuds/snowynight
Summary: McCoy finds it uncanny that even transformed to their kid self, Jim and Spock's interaction still resembles their adult self.





	Life is a puzzle

In McCoy’s opinion, people were mad to serve on a starship into the space hell bent to kill them in every way possible, but Jim was the worst lunatic to bravely go wherever could kill him best, enabled by the supposedly logical pointy eared hobgoblin, but he still didn't expect Spock and Jim to return onboard as kids, with no memory of their adult self.

Jim was a little demon, conquering the ship with his soft hazel eyes and bright smile while pulling stunt so outrageous that McCoy had no idea how he survived his actual childhood. He still had nightmare about the ship hunt that finally found Jim in one of the Jefferies tubes. Spock on the other hand was quiet, serious, and well-behaved, devouring the medical and scientific journals on McCoy’s pad that even he hadn’t caught up with. They were the complete opposite, but somehow they clicked: Jim took Spock under his wing, while Spock came under Jim’s charm. It was uncanny how their interaction resembled that of their adult selves.

McCoy grumbled when Jim ran into his office with Spock at his heels. He was nursing a headache after the night over searching a way to return Jim and Spock to normal, and dreaded fending off their energy and questions.

"Spock, come on! Look at this!" Jim waved his hand at Spock, who obediently walked over to check on Jim’s discovery. They’d just discovered McCoy's stash of puzzles and toys.

McCoy kept the toys to relax during a day of busy work, but he was so glad that they successfully distracted them. Jim as a kid had enough energy to run a starship. Even Chokov was ruffled and exhausted chasing after him all over the ship. Any distraction was great.

(While he wouldn't admit it to anyone, thanks heaven Spock was changed into a kid as well, because at least he could keep Jim company.)

Spock took a rubik's cube from Jim's hands. "What is its purpose?"

"You turn the faces until every side has the same colour. Watch me." Jim said, explaining the principle when finishing the cube in under thirty seconds. McCoy was impressed.

"Do you want to try it?" Jim asked, handing the cube over while brushing Spock's hands.

Spock stared at him for several seconds before taking it, his fingers turning it with such an inhuman speed ( _pardon the pun_ , McCoy thought) that it was finished in no time.

Jim pouted. "Are you holding it out from me? I thought you were a beginner."

"No, it is the first time I have seen it. I simply follow your instruction." Spock’s eyes betrayed a hint of awkwardness and anxiety.

"Wow, you're really a quick learner." Jim's smile returned. "Take a look at these. Do you want to try anything?"

"This one should be suitable for two players," Spock said, pointing at McCoy's jigsaw puzzle with an eagle picture.

"Nice choice! I like how fierce it looks. Do you have something similar on Vulcan?"

Spock launched into a biological lecture about symbiosis of a Vulcan bird species and bacteria, which should have bored anyone to sleepiness, but Jim listened with interest, asking questions at various points for more information, and concluded wishfully, "I hope I can see them one day."

Spock had quieted down before replying in a tense voice. "If both our parents agree, we can make arrangement."

"Cool!" Jim smiled brightly enough to lit up the room, and McCoy noticed how Spock's eyes softened.

As they pressed their heads together playing the puzzle, McCoy took out his camera to take a photo. It would be good blackmail materials in the future, he thought with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Written for fan_flashworks: Puzzles challenge


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